Book Club

Library Lovers' Day is celebrated on February 14 each year to honor libraries, librarians, book lovers, and anyone who loves libraries. If you're reading this, chances are you love your Library, too!

One of the best things about libraries is - they are a great place to find your community. When it comes to books you're interested in... who better to talk to than friendly, local folks who like the same genres, authors and characters?! If you'd like to meet some fellow bookworms and get some great reading recommendations while you're at it, consider joining a Library Book Club and/or the Jax Stacks Reading Challenge this month! 

Need for a new romance book to spice up those cold winter nights? Looking for some fun Galentine's Day ideas for you and your besties? We've got a Lit Chat Interview with two local romance authors and a romance-themed Writer's Lab workshop for anyone planning to put their own pen to paper. February is also Black History Month and we've got some great ideas for celebrating that, too! Jerry Urso returns for another History Chat - this one about the exciting life of Captain James W. Floyd. We'll also delve into poetry, true crime, gardening, business, finance, and more!

It's going to be a busy January here at the Library! Whether you're resolving to read more, challenging yourself to (finally) write that novel that's been kicking around in the back of your head for years, or just continuing your pursuit of lifelong learning: We've got a great lineup of adult programs this month! Improve your day-to-day life with one of ten Life Lit workshops, get inspired with a Writer's Lab workshop and Lit Chat Interview featuring bestselling author Jami Attenberg, come together as a community for a thought-provoking Forward Thinking panel discussion, or check out a brand new Library Book Club.

The new year brings with it new releases, new challenges, fresh starts, and an all-new Library Book Club! Novel Pursuits meets on the third Saturday of the month at San Marco Branch Library. Where will our fiction collection take you? You'll have to join the club to find out! Book clubs are also one of the best ways to find out what other people are reading (and what they think about the books everyone else is reading). What do you say? Join us at your favorite library and let's talk books!

We're closing out the year with some very cool programs and a ton of great book clubs! Get caught up in a good book with "Tangled Webb," a brand new Book Club meeting at Webb Wesconnett Regional Library. If you're interested in local history and memoirs, don't miss the Lit Chat Interview with Nat Glover.  At seventeen, he unknowingly headed into an angry white mob and the Ku Klux Klan attacking young black protestors staging a sit-in at a downtown whites-only lunch counter. Known as “Ax Handle Saturday,” this harrowing encounter with racism would commit him to a lifetime of fighting for justice. December is also the last month to check off 12 books and win a cool prize for the 2023 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge. A new challenge (and new categories) start January 1, 2024!

The holiday season is here! With all the parties and get-togethers, it can be a busy time. Plus, there's all that shopping, cooking and decorating! You should definitely reward yourself for all of that hard work by taking the time to read a good book! If you're looking for ideas about what to read or looking for the perfect gift for the book lovers in your life, join us at Library Book Club! 

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Have you been planning and plotting your first novel? Or maybe you've been hoping to craft the next great American novel by the seat of your pants? Whether you're a plotter or pantser starting your first draft or you have a completed manuscript ready to go, the Library has some great workshops coming up that can help you cross the finish line to publication!

We start out the month with a Lit Chat Interview with local author, Tim Gilmore. He's written 22 books and even cofounded the Jax-by-Jax Literary Arts Festival. There are also free Writer's Lab workshops starting in November and continuing into early December that are focused on revising your first draft and then self-publishing the polished final product through Kindle Vella and Amazon KDP.

Fall is finally showing up in Jacksonville! Are you prepping for all those extra hours of darkness by building your to-be-read list? It'll be dark by 6 p.m. before you know it! You might also consider joining a Library Book Club! You'll get to talk about what you loved, what surprised you, and what you'd recommend for anyone looking for something similar. Of course, our librarians can recommend read-alikes too!

Book clubs are one of the best ways to discover what other people are reading (and what they think about the books everyone else is reading).

It's October... which means you have just three months left to finish the 2023 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge. But don't worry. You've got this! There are three Lit Chats Interviews coming up soon. Besides the obvious ("A book by a 2023 Lit Chat author"), their books could fit a few different categories. Plus, there are thirteen Library Book Clubs meeting and discussing their recommendations this month! There's even a book club dedicated solely to recommending and discussing books that meet the Jax Stacks Reading Challenge categories. We also have a new community partner offering free workshops for budding entrepreneurs!

There's so much to fall in love with about this time of year! Whether it's spooky season, autumn festivals, candied and caramel apples, or the ever-popular Pumpkin Spice Latte (or Pumpkin Spice Iced Chia Latte): There's nothing quite like finding just the right book or a group of people to talk about it with! This October, join a Book Club! Not only will you get some great reading recommendations from fellow readers, but you might just bond with someone over a favorite fall treat (and maybe share a recipe or two).